Correct 36” tyre mounting (Dominator2 rim)

Hello all again :wave:

With my brain musing on tyres blowing off carbon rims it got me thinking how little I really know about the standard Dominator2 (Steath2) 36” rims and what classes as a well mounted tyre.

On my much older Stealth 1 rim with the non-lite tyre I get this nice and even edge all the way around on both sizes and it is just rock solid. Don’t like the weight of this tyre naturally but it is very reassuring in terms of durability

On my newer 36” fixed gear the tyre is the NR Lite.

I’m pretty sure I’ve done a decent job of mounting and inflating it as per all the advice I can see. But try as I might the line / gap is never perfectly even.

Additionally I see in this tyre it says by the line that the line is to be to the rim’s edge. Does this mean we shouldn’t see any of the ribbing? As in line should butt up against the mental edge of the rim walls?

As getting the line to meet the rim seems nigh on impossible I’ve gone with aiming for a mirror of how my older NR looks.

But what counts as a correctly mounted tyre / bead?

Thanks in advance!

I have the exact same problem. I have tried massaging it inro place. Now its close to even, but I just cannot get it where I want it.

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I sidenote, I think you should move that brakelever further back, or even better on top.
It will hit the ground like it is now.

How high a pressure do you inflate to?

From what I remember, the Stealth II/Dominator II rims came into being because tyres were coming off the Stealth I rim.

The Stealth II/Dominator II rim has a larger exterior diameter, meaning that it can be harder to get the tyre even, and quite a high pressure can be required to get it to seat properly.

I ran a NR for years that didn’t run quite evenly and never had any issues with it, but by inflating to at least 55PSI (sometimes up to around 65PSI) I’ve managed to get every other NR/Lite tyre to seat correctly eventually. You can buy lubricant designed to assist with tyre installation (primarily for super tight tyres on tubeless rims), which can help with correct bead seating. Soapy water historically wasn’t recommended due to the potential for rim corrosion with steel parts, but it’s probably fine as something to try these days.

If your tyre has been stored in a garage or outside the weather’s cold, try keeping it somewhere warm for a good few hours before installation, and when you’re trying to get it to seat at a high pressure.

It does? You’ve got no chance of that without a huge and unnecessary rim wall. You’re always going to see at least 4mm of the ridged section - that’s normal.

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Thanks so much Robin.

I have had it nearing 45PSI but not gone higher so could try that to get it more evenly mounted.

Don’t enjoy riding at that high PSI. It just seems to get very very bouncy when that high.

I rode yesterday in my sweet spot of 35-40PSI and that was great. I also am probably safe and fine to ride it like it is but I always wondered what was considered normal / seated. And I don’t hear any snap and don’t expect to hear one on this kind of rim when it seats, right?

@Brian87 Yep. I need to fix that. Good eyesight :eyes:

Yes, I also don’t ride with a higher pressure than around 40PSI, but those tyres and rims (take note Nextie :stuck_out_tongue: ) are rated for decent pressures with some people riding them at ~60PSI, so it’s no problem using a higher pressure to help the tyre seat.

There’ll be no snap/pop/clunk noise - that’s the sound you hear with tubeless rims and tyres when the tyre moves from the well of the rim, over the bead retaining hump and into the seated position.

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Just to add to this. I got the tyre fully and evenly mounted by going to 55PSI.

After 15 years of being into wheels and bikes etc - we finally spent £33 on a proper track pump.

Why did we wait this long?!? Well now I can really gage the PSI I’m giving a tyre and it’s super reassuring to see how it all works out!

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For about 6 months I didn’t have a track pump.

That was almost a decade ago. Now we’ve got three, and I can definitely say that although the cheap ones are still much better than none, a good one is a fantastic investment.

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Which tire and rim?

NR Lite + Dominator2 (Stealth2) Rim.

The combo pictured at the top of the thread.

Yep, never had an issue running that combo at 65psi. Tire seats itself.